The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-22
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Uls Remains Removed From Their sesreb
Hiding Place and Finally Interred-HlDs
Features Unchanged.
SPRiNoFIELD, Ill, April 15-The remains
Of President and Mrs. Lincoln were pri-
vately taken from their secret resting place
yesterday morning and inferred in the.
north vault Of the Lincoln monument in
Oak Ridge cemetery near this city. Less
than dozen persons, members Of the Lin
coin Monument Association, and Lincoln
Guard Of Honor were present. For years
the whereabouts of the remains of the.
great President and his wife have been
held in mystery from anxiety that they
would be stolen to obta;2 . huge reward
for their return. The actual attempt to-
carry OF the bodies in 1875 was the
cause Of the formation Of the Guard OF
Honor, which organization secreted them,
and to-day surrendered their charge. Great
care was taken to keep the event Of the,
morning q profound secret. At the ap-
pointed hour few besides the little knot Of
guards were present. The secret grave
was directly under the north bank of the
obelisk. about thirty feet from the north
entrance, but only accessible through.
the south door. A door on the north
OF the hole, where the Lincoln re-
mains are kept, leads through q long
dark passage; first east, then north, then
west, and then south to o recess. Here.
about three feet below the surface Of the
floor, were deposited the remains of Abra-
ham Lincoln and his wife. The body of
Mr.. Lincoln was in Q walnut coffin lined
with an air tight lead lining one-eighth Of
an inch thick. The walnut coffin WAS in q
cedar box and inclosed in an iron box.
Mrs. Lincoln's remains were similarly in
closed. Twenty-Five years ago Mr.. Lincoln
was shot. When the guards, with the help
ofa few laborers, had exhumed the collins.
and the lid Of the Presidents was removed,
his face was seen to be in remarkable
state Of preservation. Those who stood
around and had known Lincoln when alive,
easily discerned the featureA They were
very distinct The silver plate on the c0f-
In lid was bright. On it was inscribed the.
following:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Sixteenth President Of the United States.
Born February II, 1900; died April Is, 1865
While the remains Of Mr.. Lincoln were.
exhumed to view, General Reece, President.
Of the Guards Of Honor, turned the remains.
OF Mr.. Lincoln over to the Lincoln Monu-
ment Association. A certificate was signed
by the members Of the Guards of Honor
certifying that the remains in the coffin
were those received from the Lincoln Mon
ument Association in 1873 The Monument
Association made out q certificate signed
by the members for the records Of the As
sOciatiOn. declaring the remains to be those
Of Abraham Lincoln. The undertaken was
then directed to seal the coffin. ana q
plumber sealed it up. The coffin was then
taken out by the workmen and carried
around to the vault on the north side
The members Of the two associations and a
stranger or two who happened to be looking
ut the monument, followed. In the north
vault the floor had been taken up. A hole.
eight feet long by six feet wide and five
and half deep, bricsed up and cemented,
had been prepared. The Presidents coffin
was placed in this grave on the west side.
The coffin containing Mrs. Liacoln's re-
mains was then brought to the vault and
placed on the east side OF her husband. A
brick arch was then built over the collins
This was covered with cement mixed with
small broken rock The guards will be ON
duty at the tomb until the cement becomes
hard. The marble sarcophagus, in which
the public have supposed the remains to be,
is still in the vault.